The Memory of You
by kreidy
Summary: This series is about the gang in the future. But friendships and relationships change over the years..


The Memory of You ****

The Memory of You  
1 - Only For A Little While

Written by: [Ariel][1]

This fanfic is kind of a "spin-off", or a continuation if you will, of my fanfic ["Never Say Never"][2]. (So if you haven't read that one, you won't understand much of this.)

Anyway, "Never Say Never" ended with Chandler and Monica finally getting married. They had lived apart for nearly eight years when they ran into each other in London, of all places. To make a long story short, they realised they belonged together and walked down the aisle.

Ross and Rachel decided to give their relationship another try, and they are engaged now with a baby on the way. 

This sounds like a perfect end, doesn't it? But I decided to write a bit more about them, and therefore, I ended up writing this. I really hope you enjoy it, and if you do, please drop me a line at [ariel_b@chickmail.com][1] !

Disclaimer: These characters do not belong to me, but to Bright, Kaufman and Crane Productions and Warner Bros. Their use is not intended for profit, only for entertainment.

Monica and Chandler Bing decided to leave their wedding rather early. Monica had already thrown her bouquet, and Rachel had caught it. It was almost as if the whole thing had been planned. 

The happy bride grabbed her husband's hand and whispered: "What if we go home now? We have to leave early tomorrow. The plane leaves at 9 a.m."

"Remind me again why I made us leave that early," Chandler groaned.

"Because our honeymoon will start earlier," Monica smiled, and they went to say goodbye to the guests. Little Victoria, who everybody called Vicky, and her brother, Bryan, were sitting next to Rachel, and Bryan had almost fallen asleep with his head in Rachel's lap. Monica smiled at the sight of them.

"Are you sure you'll be able to take care of them?" she asked her friend. 

"Monica, for the umpteenth time, yes, Ross and I will take good care of your kids, you guys should just go home and get ready for your honeymoon!" Rachel sighed.

Chandler laughed. "Don't worry about that. She finished packing a week ago." 

Monica shrugged. "I just wanted to be prepared," she said and leaned down to kiss her son on the forehead. Vicky yawned and wrapped her arms around her father's neck. 

"When will you be back, daddy?" she asked.

"In two weeks," Chandler replied, enjoying the feeling of his daughter hugging him. A couple of years ago he hadn't even known that he had a daughter. 

Vicky let go of him and grinned mischievously up at him. "Bring me a present, okay?" she begged. 

He laughed and pecked her on the cheek. "We'll see," he answered.

Monica gave Vicky a hug as well.

"We'll be gone only for a little while," she told her daughter. "And then when we come back, you and me, and daddy and Bryan will spend the entire summer together."

Chandler said goodbye to his son, and then they left the beautiful hall where the wedding was being held.

*****

Rachel watched them leave and yawned quietly. She had to admit that she was a bit tired herself. It had been a long day and in addition to that her back ached. Being pregnant was not very easy, and how Monica had managed to do this on her own while she had been living in Europe was beyond her. And she had been carrying not one, but two children. Rachel was so happy that Ross was going to be there for her all the way. He had been so excited when she had told him the happy news four months ago, and it was obvious that he could not wait to be a father again. 

Ben had grown so much over the past few years. He had just turned fourteen, and although he wouldn't admit it, Rachel knew that he was looking forward to getting a half-brother or a half-sister.

Rachel started looking around in the hall. Where was Ross anyway? She wanted to go home to their apartment now, and she couldn't wait to take off her bridesmaid dress and put on something more comfortable. Suddenly, she spotted him. He was standing on the stage together with the band. She watched him in horror as he grabbed the microphone and spoke up.

"Oh, dear god," she said quietly. "Please tell me he's not going to sing..."

"Hi, guys!" Ross said, causing everybody to go silent. "I'm Ross Geller, brother of the bride and the best man." I think I know most of you guys, and you probably all know me...."

The guests started looking at each other, wondering what he was doing. 

Bryan looked up at his "aunt". "What is uncle Ross doing up there?" he asked curiously. 

Rachel just shook her head. "I wish I knew," she said. 

Ross continued: "Anyway, my fiancée, Rachel Karen Green, is sitting right over there...." He pointed at a blushing Rachel, who started looking for places to hide. She had a distinct feeling this would get very embarrassing. If her belly had not been this big, she would have been able to crawl under the table, but that was absolutely impossible.

Ross was staring at Rachel with a goofy grin on his face. 

"I just wanted to let you know that I love you very much, and that I can't wait until you'll be my wife... again." He turned around to the band and whispered something to them before grabbing the microphone again. 

"This song is for you, Rach," he said. And by that he began to sing. 

__
    
    
    "Only you can make this world seem right
    Only you can make the darkness bright
    Only you and you alone
    Can thrill me like you do
    And fill my heart with love for only you
    Only you can make this change in me
    For it's true you are my destiny
    When you hold my hand I understand
    The magic that you do
    You're my dream come true
    My one and only you
    Only you can make this change in me
    For it's true you are my destiny
    When you hold my hand I understand
    The magic that you do
    You're my dream come true
    My one and only you"

The only trouble was that Ross did not know how to sing at all.

Rachel was touched, but she couldn't help smiling. Her fiancé was no singer, and she could see some of the guest putting their fingers in their ears. Ross didn't seem to notice, though, and he finished the song quite pleased with himself. 

After his performance, some people applauded hesitantly, and Ross happily walked over to Rachel, his niece and his nephew.

"Thanks, honey," Rachel said, hiding a grin. "I've never got a serenade before. But, Ross, I think it's time to go home now."

Ross nodded and picked up the sleeping Vicky. 

"If it hadn't been for the dinosaurs, I'm pretty sure I would have been a rock star by now," he announced proudly. 

Rachel and Bryan just exchanged looks.

"Sure, honey," she said, humouring him. Bryan made a face at her, and she smiled back, hoping he wouldn't say anything. Surprisingly enough, he didn't, and they followed Ross out to the car.

*****

Chandler had decided to get a limousine for his wedding, and he had to admit that he enjoyed cruising down the street in their neighbourhood in the beautiful white car. Monica felt a bit spoiled, but she enjoyed it as well. It was like prom night all over again, only this time she was sitting next to her husband and the love of her life, not Roy Gublik who could not stop talking about Luke Skywalker. She sighed with happiness and snuggled closer to Chandler.

The limousine pulled up in their driveway and stopped. The chauffeur got out and opened the door for a grinning Chandler. He then proceeded to help Monica out of the car as well, although he struggled a bit with her long train. The chauffeur bid them goodnight and drove off.

It was a beautiful night. The stars and the bright moon shone down on them as Chandler put his arms around his wife. 

"Do you have any idea how lucky we are?" he whispered lovingly. 

Monica just smiled in response and looked down the street. It was a peaceful neighbourhood, filled with families like themselves. Their house was rather big, and in the backyard they had a pool. They had bought the house eight months ago, and she was happy they could afford it. Chandler was the head of his department now, and she was working as a chef at a nice restaurant downtown.

Bryan and Vicky had felt at home immediately, and they had made many new friends at their new school. It was as if destiny itself was trying to make up for the years they had been apart. 

Monica looked up at Chandler. "It's perfect," she smiled. 

"And it will get even more perfect in seven months," he said knowingly, kissing her forehead. 

They hadn't planned on getting another baby this soon, but now it just seemed like a true blessing.

"I'm so relieved you want this baby," Monica sighed. 

"Are you kidding? It'll be like our very own afterthought," he laughed. "But I sure am glad he or she won't arrive until January."

Monica looked questioningly at him. "Why do you say that?" she asked. "Did you want a Capricorn or something?"

"No," Chandler grinned. " If you had been six months pregnant by now and just as big as Rachel, I would never have been able to do this! It's my duty, you know..." He swooped her up in his arms and carried her up to the front door. Monica giggled as he struggled to open the door. In the end the door opened up, and he carried her over the threshold. He put her down in the hall and smiled at her.

"Welcome home, Mrs Bing," he grinned and kissed her passionately.

*****

A cab picked them up at 7 a.m. the next morning and drove them to the airport. Monica and Chandler were exhausted due to the lack of sleep, but they figured that they could sleep on the plane instead. 

Monica leaned her head on Chandler's shoulder as they sat down in their seats on the plane. A perky air hostess showed up, giving them a bottle of champagne since they were on their honeymoon, and they clinked their glasses as the plane took off.

They had wondered where to go on their honeymoon. London had seemed like such an obvious choice, but then Rachel had pointed out to them that their trip to London last year when they had met again had been kind of a honeymoon as well. 

Therefore, they had decided to take a trip to the Caribbean instead, to an island called Aruba. Rachel had told them that the place was absolutely beautiful, even though she had never got to go there on a honeymoon herself. 

She had later told Ross that she would rather have gone to the North Pole than to Aruba. Just the thought of the island in the Southern Caribbean made her think of her former friend, Mindy, and her ex-fiancé, Barry. And it also reminded her too much of her "wedding" fifteen years ago.

Aruba turned out to be just as perfect as the brochures said it would be.

Chandler and Monica threw their suitcases on the floor in their hotel room and ran out on the balcony to get a better look at the view. They gasped at the sight of the white beach and the crystal blue sea. But for now, the sunset made the sea look like a mixture of blood and gold. A cool breeze filled the night air, and Monica's eyes drank in the gorgeous view. 

She could see some tourists strolling on the beach and in the garden right next to the hotel's pool area. She spotted thousands of roses and lilies in the garden that were stretching upwards as if they were trying to get her attention. 

Chandler put his arms around her. "Why don't we stay here forever?" he grinned.

Monica kissed him. " It's so beautiful," she said. "It's like a fairy land or a paradise..."

"The entire world is a paradise as long as you're there with me," Chandler replied, gazing into her eyes. 

Monica laughed and continued admiring the view.

The hotel was a rather big resort, and she had noticed a nice restaurant, a night club and a café downstairs next to the lobby. In addition to these facilities, a big casino was situated next to the hotel. It reminded Monica of their trip to Las Vegas ten years ago. 

They just stood there for a while, listening to the waves lapping against the beach. Chandler had his arms around her, and Monica felt like standing there forever. She was in the Caribbean on her honeymoon with Chandler. Her husband. What else could she possibly ask for?

"Thank you," she whispered.

"For what?" he asked, bewildered. 

"Most of all for being you," she smiled. "And for going to London one year ago so that we could meet again.... And for taking me here."

They kissed as the sun finally disappeared behind the horizon.

*****

Ross and Rachel woke up early that morning. Someone was knocking on the door, and they had no idea who it was. At first they tried to completely ignore them, because they were both exhausted after staying up playing Monopoly with Bryan and Vicky last night, but the people at the door had no intention of stopping.

Ross grumpily got up and put on a robe. He was rather surprised to find a smiling Phoebe standing on their doorstep together with her husband, Michael. 

"Hi, Ross! We just wanted to say goodbye before we left," Phoebe announced. "We're leaving for Los Angeles in a couple of hours."

"The guys at work needed some help with some drug-dealer, and you know me... I just couldn't say no," Michael said with a sheepish grin on his face. 

Ross remembered the first time he had met Michael. Phoebe's husband was a huge and muscular man, who looked like a body-builder. He was the kind of guy who made Ross feel like a small geek. But once he had got to know Michael, he had learned that even though he was a tough cop used to the mean streets in Los Angeles, he was actually more like a big teddy-bear. Fortunately, he loved animals and was a vegetarian to boot, so there was virtually no chance that he would start shooting any birds like Phoebe's ex-boyfriend, Gary, the cop, had done.

"Wow, I didn't think you guys would leave so soon," Ross said, leading them into the kitchen. Rachel came down as well.

"I can't believe you're leaving again," she sniffled, giving Phoebe a big hug. 

"Oh, don't worry." Phoebe consoled her. "We'll see each other again soon enough, you know. I'll come here when it's time for you to have the baby, and after that you can come visit us in California."

Rachel nodded and gave Michael a hug as well. She really liked Phoebe's husband. He seemed like such a nice guy, and she was so happy that her good friend had found someone at last.

Michael responded by grabbing her by the waist and lifting her off the floor. Both Phoebe and Rachel giggled like two schoolgirls, while Ross felt a bit jealous. He knew he would never measure up to Michael's strength and size. He realised that a part of him would always be that insecure schoolboy that had admired Rachel and all her popular friends from afar. 

After Phoebe and Michael had left, he turned to Rachel and asked cautiously: "Do you wish I looked like that giant?"

Rachel looked at him, a bit amused by the jealousy she heard in his voice. "Of course, honey! That's why I'm carrying your baby!" she remarked ironically.

"Seriously.." Ross said. Rachel laughed and walked over to the fridge with him in tow. 

"Look, as long as you'll be able to get me to the hospital on time when my water breaks, I don't care how strong you are." She took out a gallon of milk from the fridge and slammed the refrigerator door shut. "I've got to go and wake up Vicky and Bryan now. Can you please take this gallon of milk for me and put it on the kitchen table... you know... if you think you can manage?"

Ross glared at her and snatched the milk, while Rachel laughed out loud and headed off to their guest room where Vicky and Bryan were sleeping. She sat down on Vicky's bed, watching the two of them sleep soundly. 

Rachel couldn't believe that in a few months time she would be able to watch her own child sleep like this. It was as if the baby knew that she was thinking about it, because suddenly it kicked. Rachel smiled and leaned down to Vicky.

"Breakfast will be ready in a couple of minutes," she said, and the two kids woke up slowly. They yawned in protest.

"I don't want to go to school today, Bryan exclaimed. "I want to go home and swim in the pool in our backyard!"

"We can do that later," Rachel said and went down to the kitchen. To her surprise, she found Joey there, happily chewing on a slice of bread with a thick layer of jam on top.

"Joey! I didn't hear you come!" she grinned, giving him a hug. "Oh, by the way, please make yourself at home," she added sarcastically. 

"Ross let me in. I'm on my way to the airport and just wanted to drop by to say goodbye," he said, licking his fingers that were covered with jam. 

"Oh, I can't believe you have to go so soon," Rachel sighed as she poured herself and Joey two big cups of coffee. "Phoebe and Michael just left, and now you as well." Rachel knew that her friends were important to her, but she had missed them terribly after she got pregnant. She wanted them around so she could share her thoughts and feelings. Sure, she had Ross, but she wanted to be able to talk to all of them on a regular basis.

"What can I say? Things change. I guess we all had to move on someday," he mused, still chewing on the slice of bread. "I mean, who would have thought that Chandler would end up living in the suburbs with two kids, a wife and another baby on the way?"

"True enough," Rachel giggled. But then she turned serious again. "Just promise me you'll come and visit us as often as you can. Chandler misses you a lot, too, you know."

"Your wish is my command!" Joey smiled. He said goodbye to all of them, and then he was gone as well. The apartment seemed empty without their friends, but Rachel shrugged it off. She would have to get used to that as soon as possible. It shouldn't really be that big of a problem. She had lived all on her own in London, and that had been just fine.

Rachel made Vicky and Bryan hurry up. They were really late for school, but Bryan didn't seem to mind that much. Rachel finally got them inside her car, and she drove them to school before heading downtown to her own job at Donna Karan. She smiled to herself while she was driving. She enjoyed taking care of Monica and Chandler's kids and couldn't wait to get her own. 

"Dear me," she mumbled. "I'm turning into Monica."

*****

Monica and Chandler entered the casino. He had his arm around her and they looked at each other with smiles on their faces. They could vividly remember the last time they had been to a casino together - in Las Vegas. It was rather late at night, but they had been forced to take it easy the last couple of days. They slept in, and enjoyed themselves in the evenings instead. Monica had been suffering from morning sickness, so they had been relaxing most of the time. She felt a lot better now, though. Come to think of it, she didn't mind the morning sickness at all. Just the thought of getting another baby made the sickness worth it.

Chandler was glad she was feeling better, too. He had felt so terribly helpless when she had been sitting on their bed, sipping tea and eating some dry crackers. It was all she could manage to eat. He still couldn't believe how she had managed her first pregnancy all on her own, although he doubted he would have been of much help if he had in fact been around. It was easy enough to make a woman pregnant, but the part after that was just a huge mystery to him.

The casino was smaller than the one they had been to in Las Vegas, but it was more crowded. Dozens of tourists were strolling around, trying to strike gold on the slot machines or at the craps table.

"How about a game of craps?" Monica suggested and winked at him. "We were really lucky the last time we played."

They walked over to one of the craps tables and started playing. Monica lost several times, but Chandler seemed to be on a winning streak. He won hundreds of dollars, and in the end he had won $1000. As soon as he got the money, he asked Monica to go and wait for him on the beach.

"I'll be right there," he ensured her and pecked her on the cheek. "I've got something I have to do now."

Monica looked questioningly at him, but decided to do as he said, and walked down to the beach. It was so calm there now. No one was running around or playing volleyball. She could hear a steelband playing an upbeat tune in the distance. It was so typical Caribbean that she had to smile. 

Sitting down on a small rock, she closed her eyes and started thinking about those waiting for them back home. She couldn't wait to see Vicky and Bryan again. Chandler had called them yesterday to ensure that everything was alright, and apparently they were having a great time with uncle Ross and aunt Rachel. Ben had come over and had been trying to teach them how to play baseball. 

"Mental note: I've got to teach them that this summer," Monica thought. Growing up in Europe, they hadn't found baseball very interesting, but they were living in the USA now, thousands of miles away from Europe. She opened her eyes again, realising how different their childhood had been from her own. And the child she was carrying now would grow up in a peaceful environment. It would have a brother, a sister and a mother, and last, but not least, it would have a father as well. 

Monica suddenly got a scary feeling. It was like a bad omen or something. What if it was too perfect? What if something terrible would happen to them that would ruin the family once again?

She tried to dismiss the thought as pure rubbish, but she couldn't let it go. It was as if something or someone was trying to tell her something. 

"Stop it," she told herself. "It's just the pregnancy. You get all sorts of weird ideas in your head after being sick for almost a week." She felt cold all of a sudden and hoped that Chandler would come soon.

"Hi, honey," she heard a voice say. She turned around and saw Chandler walking up to her with a smile on his face.

"Oh, thank god, I was getting worried about you." She heaved a sigh of relief. "Look, Chandler, I need to tell you something..."

"Monica, I need to tell you something first," he interrupted. "Well, actually, I wanted to give you something," he said and pulled out a small box from his pocket. Monica looked at him and the box and decided to hear him out. She had wanted to tell him about that weird feeling she had had, but it could wait.

"And everything _is_ fine. You're just being paranoid and crazy," she told herself and smiled at Chandler. He gave her the box, and she opened it. Monica gasped when she saw a beautiful gold necklace. A heart with three diamonds dangled from it while reflecting the moonlight.

"Sweetie, you shouldn't have..." she started, but he just turned the heart around and showed it to her. Monica felt tears stinging her eyes when she saw that their names were engraved on it. "Monica and Chandler Bing" it read. Under their names she could see the names of Vicky and Bryan as well.

"We'll put on the last name after you give birth," Chandler smiled, seeing that she loved the gift. He grabbed it eagerly and put it on her. "Now, what was it you were going to tell me?"

Monica touched the necklace and smiled. "It was nothing. The necklace is gorgeous. Thank you."

*****

Rachel had just picked up Vicky and Bryan at school, and they were on their way to the airport. Monica and Chandler were coming home today, and Rachel could hardly wait to meet her old friends again. They were just driving by a mall, when Vicky shouted:

"Oh, aunt Rachel, I've got a great idea! Can we please go to the mall?"

Rachel frowned at the thought at first, but then Vicky told her that she wanted to buy some flowers to her mother, kind of like a "welcome home" gift. Rachel smiled and drove back. 

They walked to the flower store, and Vicky picked out a beautiful bouquet of yellow roses. Bryan was standing next to Rachel, waiting impatiently for them.

"I want to go, aunt Rachel," he groaned. "What if some of my friends see me here? It's so girlie!!"

Rachel laughed and gave the flowers to the shopgirl. "That sounds like something your father would say." She paid for the flowers and handed them to Bryan. "Here, carry these," she said mischievously. Bryan sulked, but grabbed the flowers and hid them behind his back immediately.

"Now, let's find your sister and head off to the airport," she said, putting on her sunglasses.

*****

Monica had had a nagging feeling ever since she had woken up that morning. At first she had thought it was the morning sickness again, but she knew now that it had to be something else. As the plane landed in New York, Chandler looked over at her. She was deep in thought, clutching the necklace he had given her.

"Honey, what is the matter? You seem so nervous and tense," he said, holding her hand. Monica looked up at him.

"Yeah, I'm fine, it's just that I've got this feeling that something's wrong."

"But you're okay, right? Both you and the baby?" he asked, a bit worried.

"Yeah, it's... I don't know, actually..." Monica looked confused. 

"I'm sure it's nothing. Let's just get our stuff and get off this plane. I feel like a sardine in here," Chandler moaned, standing up. 

They got their bags, and finally they walked into the arrival hall at the airport. Chandler and Monica immediately started looking for Ross, Rachel and the kids as they had heard that they would all come to meet them at the airport.

"Where are they?" Monica mumbled, as Chandler put his arm around his wife's waist.

"Maybe they're late," he answered. "No, wait a minute... Ross is over there!" he exclaimed. They walked over to Ross, but Monica noticed right away that something was not the way it was supposed to be. Her brother was staring at them, pallid. Rachel and the kids were nowhere to be seen. 

Chandler noticed how pale his friend was as well, but asked: "Hi, Ross! So, where are the others? Where is your fiancée, and where are Vicky and Bryan?"

Ross cleared his throat and breathed heavily. "Rachel and Bryan are at the mall near our home," he said. "And Vicky..." His eyes filled with tears. "She is missing."

   [1]: mailto:ariel_b@chickmail.com
   [2]: http://www.fanfiction.net/index.fic?action=story-read&storyid=17676



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